At one time ascribed to Jacques-Louis David, this painting has most recently been identified as the work of Marie Denise Villers. Although little known today, Villers was a gifted pupil of Anne Louis Girodet-Trioson (1767–1824) and exhibited in the Salons, where her portraits attracted attention. This canvas, which was shown in the Salon of 1801, is thought to be a self-portrait.